What You'll Need

• • French Press
• • Coffee beans ground as coarse as breadcrumbs. Too fine and it will permeate through the mesh filter. Too coarse and the coffee will be too light-bodied.
• • Hot water kettle. You can use a tea kettle on the stove. The hot water should be just off boiling, so as not to scald the coffee.

A few years ago, Carrie approached us at King Bean to create her coffee: Callie’s Biscuit Blend. Carrie knew exactly the coffee she envisioned pairing with her biscuits. She asked us to create a rich, roasted coffee—one that brewed a fantastic cup of French press.

We love French press. In our belief that great coffee doesn’t have to be complicated, French press is actually an easy way to up your coffee game and experiment with manual brewing. By manual, we mean that you don’t have to press a button on a machine to brew your coffee. French press is an easy method, a great first step away from the traditional drip. Perfect for your cup of Callie’s Biscuit Blend!

The Process

1. Boil water and prep your French press by pouring hot water into it and then dumping. This will help it to retain heat longer, especially if you have a glass press pot.
2. Add your coffee. How much? It depends on the size of your French press. A good starting point is a 1:15 ratio, meaning one part coffee (grams) to water (mL). As you get comfortable with this brew method, you may find that you prefer to add or subtract the amount of coffee to get the body and strength that you prefer.
3. Add hot water. Pour slowly. The coffee will bloom—as carbon dioxide rises out of the beans, the coffee will momentarily expand. Stir gently if you need too. Wait a moment, then continue slowly pouring in the coffee, saturating all the grounds.
4. Don’t plunge—wait for four minutes as the coffee brews. Four minutes is a jumping off point—you can brew longer or shorter depending on your personal preference. Longer will be a stronger coffee that brings out more caffeine, but also more acidity.
5. Ok, you may plunge now. Serve immediately and enjoy. If you don’t serve all the coffee in the French Press, pour it into a carafe and set aside to enjoy later or save for iced coffee. The coffee will continue brewing in the press pot.